Henry Winkler Joins Kevin James In ‘Here Comes The Boom’

Henry Winkler Joins Kevin James In 'Here Comes The Boom'

Having played a mall cop and a zookeeper (in the film of the same name coming out this summer), Kevin James is next set to put his plus-sized waistline to comedic use as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter in “Here Comes The Boom” a movie which will likely find him falling down a lot. But it looks like there will be veteran there to pick him up and dust him off.

Variety reports that Henry Winkler (Fonzie, Barry Zuckerkorn) has joined the film which finds James playing a physics teacher (now that’s comedy), who takes up fighting in mixed martial arts matches in order to raise money to save the music program at his school. Apparently, he winds up fighting in the UFC. No word yet on Winkler’s role.

James and Allan Loeb are penning the screenplay so expect something broadly mainstream, and probably successful, thus ensuring that Loeb (and his now, his brother?) remains one of the most overrated scribes in Hollywood. But clearly, Sony feels this will be money in the bank as they’ve already slotted the film for a meaty July 27, 2012 release date. Frank Coraci (“The Zookeeper,” “Click“) directs.